Thessaloniki (Greek: Θεσσαλονίκη, IPA: /θesaloˈnici/), Thessalonica, or Salonica is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of Macedonia. Its honorific title is Συμπρωτεύουσα (Symprotévousa), literally "co-capital", a reference to its historical status as the Συμβασιλεύουσα (Symvasilévousa) or "co-reigning" city of the Byzantine Empire, alongside Constantinople. According to the 2001 census, the municipality of Thessaloniki had a population of 363,987. The entire Thessaloniki Urban Area had a population of 763,468.[2]

When in 379 the Roman Prefecture of Illyricum was divided between East and West Roman Empires, Thessaloníki became the capital of the new Prefecture of Illyricum.[citation needed] The economic expansion of the city continued through the twelfth century as the rule of the Komnenoi emperors expanded Byzantine control to the north. Thessaloniki passed out of Byzantine hands in 1204, when Constantinople was captured by the Fourth Crusade. Thessaloníki and its surrounding territory—the Kingdom of Thessalonica—became the largest fief of the Latin Empire. It also was ruled by the Despotate of Epirus between 1224 and 1246, and was a vassal state of the Second Bulgarian Empire between 1230 and 1246.

The city was recovered by the Byzantine Empire in 1246. In the 1340s, it was the scene of the anti-aristocratic Commune of the Zealots. In 1423, the Despot Andronicus who was in charge of the city handed it over to the Republic of Venice in the hope that it could be protected from the Ottomans (there is no evidence to support the oft-repeated story that he sold the city to them). The Venetians held Thessaloniki until it was captured by the Ottoman SultanMurad II on 29 March 1430.[9] Murad II took Thessaloniki with a brutal massacre[10] and enslavement of roughly one-fifth of the native inhabitants.[11] Upon the capture and plunder of Thessaloniki, many of its inhabitants escaped,[12] including intellectuals Theodorus Gaza “Thessalonicensis” and Andronicus Callistus.[13]

During the Ottoman period, the city's Muslim and Jewish population grew. By 1478 Selânik (سلانیك) – as the city came to be known in Ottoman Turkish – had a population of 4,320 Muslims and 6,094 Greek Orthodox, as well as some Catholics, but no Jews. By ca. 1500, the numbers had grown to 7,986 Greeks, 8,575 Muslims, and 3,770 Jews, but by 1519, the latter numbered 15,715, 54% of the city's population. The invitation to Sephardic Jews expelled from Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella, was an Ottoman demographic strategy to prevent the Greek element from dominating the city.[16]

By the 1680s, about 300 families of Sephardic Jews, followers of Sabbatai Zevi, had converted to Islam, becoming a sect known as the Dönmeh (convert), and migrated to majority-Jewish Salonika. There they established an active community that thrived for about 250 years. Many of their descendants later became prominent in trade.[17]

Selanik was a sanjak capital in Rumeli Eyaleti (Balkans) until 1826, and subsequently the capital of Selanik Vilayeti (between 1826 and 1864 Selanik Eyaleti) This consisted of the sanjaks of Selanik, Serez and Drama between 1826 and 1912[citation needed]. Thessaloniki was also a Janissary stronghold where novice Janissaries were trained. In June 1826 regular Turkish soldiers attacked and destroyed the Janissary bases, an event known as the The Auspicious Incident in Turkish history.

From 1870, driven by economic growth, the city's population expanded by 70%, reaching 135,000 in 1917.[citation needed]

In 1915, during World War I, a large Alliedexpeditionary force landed at Thessaloniki as the base for operations against pro-German Bulgaria. This culminated in the establishment of the Macedonian or Salonika Front.[citation needed] In 1916, pro-Venizelist Greek army officers, with the support of the Allies, launched the Movement of National Defence, which resulted in the establishment of a pro-Allied temporary government that controlled northern Greece and the Aegean, against the official government of the King in Athens.[citation needed] This led the city to be dubbed as symprotévousa ("co-capital").[citation needed] Most of the old town was destroyed by a single fire on 18 August [O.S. 5 August] 1917,[citation needed] which was accidentally sparked by French soldiers in encampments at the city. The fire left some 72,000 homeless, many of them Turkish, of a population of approximately 271,157 at the time.[citation needed]

During World War II, Thessaloniki fell to the forces of Nazi Germany on April 22, 1941, and remained under German occupation until October 30, 1944. The city suffered considerable damage from Allied bombing. In 1943, 50,000 of the city's Jews were deported to concentration camps, where most were murdered in the gas chambers.[18] Eleven thousand Jews were deported to forced labor camps, most of whom perished.[18] One survivor was Salamo Arouch, a boxing champion, who lived at Auschwitz by entertaining the Nazis with his boxing skills.[18]

Thessaloniki was rebuilt after the war with large-scale development of new infrastructure and industry throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. On 20 June 1978, the city was hit by a powerful earthquake, registering a moment magnitude of 6.5.[citation needed] The tremor caused considerable damage to several buildings and ancient monuments; forty people were crushed to death when an entire apartment block collapsed in the central Hippodromio district.[citation needed]

Geology

Thessaloniki was hit by strong earthquakes in 620, 667, 700, 1677, 1759, 1902, 1904, 1905, 1932, and 1978. The event of 1978 measured a 6.5 magnitude on the Richter scale.[19]

Climate

Thessaloniki lies on the northern fringe of the Thermaic Gulf, on its western side. The city has a Mediterranean to Mid-European Temperate climate. Annual rainfalls are about 410–450 mm.[citation needed] Snowfalls are sporadic, but happen more or less every year.

The city lies in a transitional climatic zone, so its climate has displayed characteristics of continental and Mediterranean climate. Winters are relatively dry, with common morning frost. Snowfalls occur almost every year, but usually the snow does not stay for more than a few days. During the coldest winters, temperatures can drop to -10C°/14F (Record min. -14C°/7F).[citation needed]

Thessaloniki's summers are hot with rather humid nights. Maximum temperatures usually rise above 30C°/86F, but rarely go over 40C°/104F (Record max. 44C).[citation needed] Rain is seldom in summer, and mainly falls during thunderstorms.

Architecture in Thessaloniki is the direct result of the city's position at the centre of all historical developments in the Balkans. Aside from its commercial importance, Thessaloniki was also for many centuries, the military and administrative hub of the region, and beyond this the transportation link between Europe and the Levant (Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine).

Merchants, traders and refugees from all over Europe settled in the city. The early Byzantine walls were moved to allow extensions to the east and west along the coast. The need for commercial and public buildings in this new era of prosperity led to the construction of large edifices in the city centre. During this time, the city saw the building of banks, large hotels, theatres, warehouses, and factories. The city layout changed after 1870, when the seaside fortifications gave way to extensive piers, and many of the oldest walls of the city were demolished including those surrounding the White Tower.[citation needed]

The expansion of Eleftherias Square towards the sea completed the new commercial hub of the city. The western districts are considered as a working class section, near the factories and industrial activities; the middle and upper classes gradually moved from the city-centre to the eastern suburbs, leaving mainly businesses. In 1917, a devastating fire swept through the city and burned uncontrollably during 32 hours.[citation needed] It destroyed the city's historic center and a large part of its architectural heritage.

A team of architects and urban planners including Thomas Mawson and Ernest Hebrard, a French architect, chose the Byzantine era as the basis for their (re)building designs. The new city plan included axes, diagonal streets and monumental squares, with a street grid that would channel traffic smoothly. The plan of 1917 included provisions for future population expansions and a street and road network that would be and still is sufficient today.[citation needed] It contained sites for public buildings, and provided for the restoration of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques. The whole Upper City, near the fortifications, was declared a heritage site. The plan also included a site for the campus of a future University of Thessaloniki, which has never been fully realised, although today's University campus incorporates some of Hebrard's ideas.

An important element of the plan was to achieve a fine balance between contemporary urban planning and architectural ideas, and the city's tradition and history. These plans have not been fully implemented, and the city still lacks of a full administrative district. Nevertheless, this aspect of the plan influenced a number of building and planning decisions throughout the 20th century, with inevitable adaptations to service the population explosion of the last 50 years.

Economy

Thessaloníki is a major port city and an industrial and commercial centre. The city's industries centre around oil, steel, petrochemicals, textiles, machinery, flour, cement, pharmaceuticals, and liquor. Being a free port, the city functions as the gateway to the Balkan hinterland. The city is also a major transportation hub for the whole of south-eastern Europe, carrying, among other things, trade to and from the neighbouring countries. A considerable percentage of the city's working force is employed in small- and medium-sized businesses as well as in the service and the public sectors.

In recent years, the city has begun a process of deindustrialisation and a move towards a service based economy. A spate of factory shut downs has occurred in order to take advantage of cheaper labour markets and more lax regulations. Among the largest companies to shut down factories are Goodyear,[21] AVEZ (the first industrial factory in northern Greece built in 1926),[22] and VIAMIL (ΒΙΑΜΥΛ).

Demographics

Aerial photo of the eastern districts of Thessaloniki and Kalamaria, a city's suburb.

The Jewish Cemetery of Thessaloniki in the late 19th century.

The colourful shopfronts of the central district of Ladadika which used to be the Jewish quarter.

Although the population of the Municipality of Thessaloniki has declined in the last two censuses, the metropolitan area's population is still growing, as people are moving to the suburbs. The city forms the base of the metropolitan area.

The Jews of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki's Jewish community was largely of Sephardic background, but also included the historically significant and ancient Greek-speaking Romaniote community. During the Ottoman era, Thessaloniki's Sephardic refugee community comprised more than half the city's population and the Jews were dominant in commerce until the Greek population increased after 1912. Within the interwar the Greek state granted the Jews the same civil rights as the other Greek citizens.[24] Many Jewish inhabitants of Thessaloniki spoke Ladino, the Romance language of the Sephardic Jews[citation needed].

A great blow to the Jewish community of Thessaloniki came with the great fire of 1917, which left 50,000 Jews homeless.[25] Some Jews emigrated to other parts of Europe. The arrival of 100,000 Greek refugees settling in and around Thessaloniki after the Asia Minor catastrophe of 1923,also reduced the proportions of the community. During the interwar period they represented about 20% of the city's population.

In March 1926, Greece had re-emphasised that all citizens of Greece enjoyed equal rights, and a considerable proportion of the city's Jews stuck by their earlier convictions thought they should remain. By 1944 the great majority of the community firmly identified itself as both Greek and Jewish. According to Misha Glenny, these Greek Jews had largely not encountered "anti-Semitism as in its North European form.[26] By the mid 1940s the prospect of German deportation to death camps was repeatedly met with disbelief by an increasingly well integrated Greek Jewish population. Mordechai Frizis nevertheless became one of the leading Greek officers of World War II.[27]

The Nazis exterminated approximately 96% of Thessaloniki's Jews of all ages during the Holocaust. Today, there is a community of around 1000 in the city , and there are communities of descendants of Thessaloniki Jews – both Sephardic and Romaniote – in other areas, mainly the United States and Israel.

Culture

The Opera of Thessaloniki was founded when the city was the European Capital of Culture in 1997[30] It is an independent section of the National Theatre of Northern Greece.[citation needed]

Thessaloniki is home of a number of festivals and events, including the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair which has been hosted at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre. Over 300,000 visitors attended in 2007. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival has been established as one of the most important film festivals in Southeastern Europe, with a number of notable film makers such as Francis Ford Coppola, Faye Dunaway, Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas and Fatih Akın taking part to it. The Documentary Festival, founded in 1999, has focused on documentaries that explore global social and cultural developments, with many of the films presented being candidates for FIPRESCI and Audience Awards. The Dimitria festival, founded in 1966 and named after the city's patron saint of St. Demetrius, has focused on a wide range of events including music, theatre, dance, local happenings, and exhibitions. The "DMC DJ Championship" has been hosted at the International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki and has become a worldwide event for aspiring DJs and turntablists. The "International Festival of Photography" has taken place every February to mid-April. Exhibitions for the event are sited in museums, heritage landmarks, galleries, bookshops and cafés.

The city played a major role in the development of basketball in Greece. The local YMCA was the first to introduce the sport to the country while Iraklis won the first Greek championship.[32] From 1979 to 1993 Aris and PAOK won between them 10 championships, 7 cups and a European title. In volleyball, Iraklis has emerged since 2000 as one of the most successful teams in Greece[34] and Europe[35][36] alike with several domestic and international successes. In October 2007, the first Southeastern European Games were organized in Thessaloniki.[37]

Thessaloniki Metro

The construction of the Thessaloniki Metropolitan Railway began in 2006 and is scheduled for completion in late 2012.[38] The line is set to extend over 9.5 kilometres (5.9 mi) and include 13 stations,[39] and it is expected that the subway will eventually serve 250,000 passengers daily.[38] Some stations of the Thessaloniki Metro will house a number of archaeological finds.[40]

Discussions are underway on future expansion, in order to connect the underground with the major transport hubs for the city, the Makedonia Central Bus Station, the Central Railway Station and Makedonia International Airport. Expansions to Kalamaria, the easternmost district of Thessaloniki, and to Stavroupoli in the west, are part of the initial construction phase. Expansion plans include the districts of Eleftherio-Kordelio and the northern districts, such as Toumba.

Commuter rail

Commuter rail services have recently been established between Thessaloniki and Larissa, covering the journey in an 1 hour 33 min.

Motorways

Thessaloniki was without a motorway link until the 1970s when it was accessed by GR-1/E75 from Athens, GR-4, GR-2, (Via Egnatia) /E90 and GR-12/E85 from Serres and Sofia. In the early 1970s the motorway had reached Thessaloniki and was the last section of the GR-1 to be completed. The city's 6-lane bypass was completed in 1988.[citation needed] It runs from the western, industrial side of the city, to its southeast. Upgraded in 2007, it took in a number of new junctions and improved motorway features. In 2008, the motorway was expanded toward the Egnatia Motorway, northwest of Thessaloniki.

Railways

Airport

Air traffic to and from the city is served by Makedonia International Airport, for both international and domestic flights. The short length of the airport's two runways means that it does not currently support intercontinental flights, although there are plans for a major expansion extending one of its runways into the Thermaic Gulf, despite considerable opposition from local environmentalist groups.

See also

References

Bibliography

Apostolos P. Vacalopoulos, A History of Thessaloniki, Institute for Balkan Studies,1972.

John R. Melville-Jones, 'Venice and Thessalonica 1423-1430 Vol I, The Venetian Accounts, Vol. II, the Greek Accounts, Unipress, Padova, 2002 and 2006 (the latter work contains English translations of accounts of the events of this period by St Symeon of Thessaloniki and John Anagnostes).

^Nicol, Donald M. (1992). Byzantium and Venice: A Study in Diplomatic and Cultural Relations. Cambridge University Press. p. 371. ISBN 0521428947. "The capture and sack of Thessalonica is vividly described by an eye-witness, John Anagnostes. It is a terrible tale. He reckoned that 7000 citizens perhaps about one-fifth of the population were carried off to slavery."

^Harris, Jonathan (1995). Greek emigres in the West 1400-1520. Porphyrogenitus. p. 12. ISBN 187132811X. "Many of the inhabitants of Thessalonica fled to the Venetian colonies in the early fifteenth century, in the face of sporadic attacks which culminated in the city’s capture by Murad II in the 1430’s."

^Milner, Henry (2009). The Turkish Empire: The Sultans, the Territory, and the People. BiblioBazaar. p. 87. ISBN 1113223995. "Theodore Gaza, one of these exiles, escaped from Saloniki, his native city, upon its capture by Amurath."

^Coates, Alan ; Bodleian Library (2005). A Catalogue of Books Printed in the Fifteenth Century Now in the Bodleian Library. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 0199519056. "Theodorus Graecus Thessalonicensis"

Contents

Thessaloniki[1], in the Greek
district of Central Macedonia, is, at about a
million inhabitants, the second largest city in the country. More
importantly, it is a city with a continuous 3000-year history,
preserving relics of its Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman past and of
its formerly dominant Jewish population. Its Byzantine churches, in
particular, are included in UNESCO's World Heritage list.

The White Tower of Thessaloniki; the city's landmark.

Get in

By train

By nighttrain from Athens
(Larissa station), about 6 h. Costs 20€-31€ (depending on the
train), or about €50 if you want a sleeping compartment to
yourself. Alternatively the slower 60x services are 15€ departing
daily with the last train at 23:59.

Daily trains from Athens take 4h 15 min (intercity express
trains), 6h(normal trains) cost about 50 euros first class. A very
good option are the 500/501/502/503 trains, delivering excellent
quality of travel at a low price, costing about 14 euros (11 for
students and people up to 26) and take only 5h 45min. Unfortunately
for smokers, smoking is banned in all but a few trains. The last
train at night departs at around 01:50.

There is also a night train (sleeping car) from Istanbul, departure every day
at 21.00. It arrives 09.33 next morning and costs ca. 52€ (120
TYL).

When you are under 26, you get a discount for 25 % on most
trains.

To/From Skopje, - direct
link: Skopje to Thessaloniki train is 20€ RT with young person
discount, 20% more without. Train leaves from Skopje at 8:00 a.m.
Thessaloniki to Skopje train leaves at 4:15 p.m. (Suggest being on
the dock by 3:30 on Friday to fight the "Student Traffic" of
students going home for the weekend.) Both trains take about 4
hours. You can check the time table at the Macedonian Railways
website
[2]. The Cyrillic version of Thessaloniki is Солун, so it will
be easier to look it up in the time table, since there is no
English version of the website.

There are also direct train connections to Sofia (at 06:16 and 17:39, take 6 hours), Belgrade (12 hours), Istanbul (12 hours-every
evening-arriving next morning), Budapest and Ljubljana (24 hours) via Zagreb (21 hours). But please mind: The trains
from Ljubljana arrive usually more than two hours too late in
Thessaloniki.

By bus

From Skopje

A number of local travel agencies in Skopje also arrange
transport to Thessaloniki daily by car or minibus. These generally
leave around 5am, and cost around €25 for a day return (returning
at 5pm) or a single (i.e. €50 if you want to come back on a
different day from when you leave!) The travel agent at the back of
the shopping mall by the Central Square arranges this departing
from beside the Holiday Inn. Others depart from the bus station, or
other locations around the city.

Note that although it is fairly easy to find a taxi driver in
Thessaloniki who is willing to drive you to Skopje, the reverse is
much less true, as the citizens of Macedonia need a visa (visa not
needed, only special form document available on border) to enter
Greece, whereas EU citizens can enter Macedonia without one.

Connection to the City
Centre

If your goal is to get out to the airport, hop on bus 78. It
connects the airport with the bus station ("Ktel"), passing by the
train station ("OSE") and a ticket costs 0.50€ if you buy it from
the kiosk (0.60 if you buy it from the automatic ticket vendor,
exact change needed). It's about a 25 minute ride. You can take
this same bus back from the airport. There is also a night bus
(numbered 78N) that takes the same route, and it runs all night
every half an hour, for the same ticket price.

A taxi ride from the city center costs about 10-12 euros - it's
hard to find one during peak hours (7-8 am, 2-4 pm and 7-9 pm), so
plan early!

By car

From Athens about 5 hours (Highway)

From Istanbul about 8 hours

From Belgrade about 7 hours

From Sofia about 4 hours.

From Constanta about 8 hours.

One of the burdens for visitors and inhabitants alike is finding
a parking place, so be prepared to either spend a lot of time
looking for a place or pay for space in the parking lot (starting
from 4 euros/3 hours). Don't assume you're safe from paying a fine
just because locals flagrantly flout parking laws! Traffic
congestion is a problem, largely due to double-parked cars, but
generally fellow drivers and passers-by are helpful in showing you
the way if you're lost.

By bus

The city bus company ("called OASTH"[4]) runs a total of
70 different bus lines. The fee is €0.50 independent of the route's
length, for a duration of 70 minutes. This means that you can
actually switch buses using the same ticket (you will have to
recancel it on following buses). A 24h ticket costs €2 and a 7-day
ticket €10. 1, 3, 6 and 12-month tickets are also available. Maps
of the bus lines are available on the company's website [5].

See

Museums and Galleries

At the end of Tsimiski street there is a special area in the
center of Thessaloniki where you can find many museums:

It is also useful to keep an eye on the website Museums of
Macedonia [19] that covers the
whole region.

The northernmost Byzantine walls of the city and parts of the
western walls are still standing, as is the city's symbol - the
White Tower, one of the 16th c. AD fortified towers - which is the
only surviving tower on the seafront. The rest of the walls are in
the picturesque old town (Upper Town) which offers a spectacular
view over the bay, especially in the late afternoon. Take a walk
along the enormous seafront promenade (about 12 km altogether) with
views of the amphitheatrically-built city. See the Archaeological
Museum, the new award-winning Museum of Byzantine Culture (2005 -
the best Museum of Europe), the Roman Forum excavations.

Visit the upper town for its traditional old houses, small
cobbled streets, Byzantine citadel, the Eptapyrgion fort.

The very lively and youth-oriented international film festival[20] is held in November,
the International Trade Fair[21] in
September.

On no account should you miss the Byzantine churches built
between the 5th and 14th century ACE, such as St Demetrios, (7th c.
ACE) and Agia Sophia (Holy Wisdome, 9th c. ACE), and many lovely
smaller ones in the upper town (St Nicolaos Orfanos is particularly
worth a look for its frescoes), which are on the UNESCO World
Heritage List. One of them, the Rotonda, started life as a Roman
temple of Zeus, built by ceasar Galerius, and is almost as old as
the Pantheon in Rome. Next to the Rotonda, see the Arch of Triumph
of Galerius and the ruins of his palace.

The city is also known as "the mother of Israel", due to the
once flourishing jewish community here, which existed from the
Roman period and grew after the Ottoman Empire took in the refugees
from Spain ("Sephardis), until World War II when most of the city's
Jews were transported to Auschwitz, never to return. However, there
are still two Synagogues, and you can see the Jewish Museum.

Also interesting are the Turkish public baths, the Bezesteni
(Ottoman closed market for jewellery and precious materials) the
Alatza Imaret (Ottoman poorhouse) and Hamza Bey Camii (both
restored and used for exhibitions).

Aristotelous Square-the biggest of the city-and the promenade
with its cafes and restaurants.

Thessaloniki's 'Ano Poli' (Old City)

Doing Stuff

Thessaloniki is home to many museums, mostly archaeological and
ethnographic. It also has a very active nightlife, as a 2007 New
York Times article calls it "Seattle of the Balkans".

Buy

For fashion, Proxenou Koromila, Mitropoleos and Tsimiski. You
won't find many bargains, but the shopping area is conveniently
small and full of cafes when you get too tired. For cheaper
clothing, check out Egnatia street.

For food specialities, go to Modiano market and try the Terpsis
and Omega delicatessens (the most famous is Kosmas, but it
specialises in Asian food). Any Greek will expect you to bring back
sweets from Salonica, so try tsoureki, plaited sweetened breads for
which Terkenlis is famous for, and desserts (baklava and
galaktoboureko) e.g. or Nikiforou on Venizelou street. The most
famous of the baklava joints is Hatzis, but fame has not made it
any better - it's become overpriced and not as good as in previous
years.

Ianos bookshop is a good place for coffee-table books. Art
related books, CDs etc can be found also in Bastart (Grigoriou
Palama 21. Metropolis is one of the few remaining CD shops, now
branching out into DVDs.

Eat

Other Greeks consider Thessaloniki a gourmet city - but bear in
mind that this refers to the excellent local specialities and
cheap-and-cheerful ouzo taverns rather than to haute cuisine or a
range of foreign restaurants. The latter are best avoided in
Thessaloniki.

For a carnivore's treat, try soutzoukakia: minced meat pellets
either grilled (at the central market or rotisseries) and topped
with with chilli pepper flakes, or in tomato and cumin sauce
(Smyrna-style).

Go for a meal in one of the many downtown ouzo restaurants
(ouzeri) - some of the best are Agora (off Ionos Dragoumi, one of
the most interesting old downtown areas); Odos Aristotelous off
Aristotelous Square; Vrotos, off Athonos; Bit-Pazar and Selini in
the Bit-Pazar area. Accompany your ouzo or tsipouro with a battery
of small dishes - by far the best way to eat in Salonica.
Particularly good are the fava beans, the octopus either grilled or
in wine sauce and mussels (fried, or in pilaff, or with a hot
cheese sauce, saganaki).

There are also a couple of good Cretan restaurants: Myrsini
(behind the State Theatre) and Apo Dyo Horia (near Navarinou).
Here, order raki rather than ouzo or tsipouro.

If you see "boiled vegetables' on the menu in wintertime, go
ahead and order them- you'll be amazed at how good they taste.

Another typical winter salad is politiki, a combination of
shredded cabbage and pickles.

If you like sweets, there are 3 typical pastry-shops you should
try, typical of this city:

Chatzis. [22] is famous for its
collection of Greek Asia Minor sweets (politika glyka) originating
from what was known before as Constantinople (today,
Istanbul).edit

Terkenlis. [23] is famous for its variety
of "tsoureki", a sweet bread much like brioche but containing
spices too, covered and filled with several combinations of
chocolates/creams/nuts, etc.edit

Elenidis. [24] is considered the expert
in "trigona" (triangles made of sfoglia, filled with cream).edit

Best winter dessert: baked quince

For something quicker, try the crepe shops patronised by the
student population at Gounari street, near Navarinou square.
"Goody's" is the greek fast-food chain. You will find classic
hamburgers, but also souvlaki, pasta, and salads.

Those of you with adventurous tastes should go to Tsarouhas,
preferably after a hard night's drinking, for a "patsás" (tripe)
soup - a delicious way to prevent a hangover.

Traditional fast food include sandwiches with gyros (pork meat),
souvlaki or soutzoukaki (meat balls) offered in many stores for a
little over 2€.

Popular budget places to eat can be found in:

Athonos sq.: Preferred by the many students of
the city, Athonos square is full of basic Greek taverns mostly
serving meat and/or fish accompanied by, wine, retsina (traditional
low cost wine) and ouzo. Some feature live Greek music.

Bit Pazar: This area is another lively (and
noisy) student hang-out that gets crowded on warm nights. The best
ouzeris here are Bit-Pazar and the quieter Selini.

Kastra (Ano Poli): Up the city’s hill, next to
the Byzantine walls you can find many nice restaurants with views
over the city.

Tsinari: An old district in Ano Poli hosting
the eponymous tavern, along with some others.

Ladadika: The old warehouse area near the port,
around Morichovou sq., is chock-full of restaurants, bars and
clubs. The classiest are Krikelas and Ellinikon, which offers
'appelation d'origine' local delicacies.

Near the White Tower: Zythos-Dore, an upmarket brasserie with a
wide range of specialties and interesing ambience.

Prices

You can enjoy a meal with house wine in a mid-range restaurant
for about 15 €, 20-30€ in a higher-class one.

Pizza da Pepe, Stefanou Tatti 10 (side street of Egnatia, near the Aghia
Sophia Church), ☎2310
242407. For the best pizzas
in town head here, but don't tell them you're an Aris Saloniki
(football)fan :-)edit

Drink

You won't wonder where to get a drink in a town with this many
bars!

Thessaloniki is by far the liveliest city in Northern Greece-
maybe even the whole country. Most of the trendy bars at the old
seafront(Nikis ave.) and around, many of the tavernas are either
downtown or in the old city(kastra). You can also find numerous
bars and tavernas at Krini, an area in eastern Thessaloniki. If you
want to check out what the whole bouzoukia scene is all about, try
the clubs Pyli Axiou and Mamounia, at Vilka. You will also find a
lot of night clubs, bars and restaurants in Ladadika, the
neighbourhood with the old warehouses next to the port. The student
area is around Kamara (the Arch of Galerius), home to many cheaper
cafe's and bars.

If you will be in town during summer, take a ride on the
floating bars plying the harbour. Every 2h or so they leave from
the White Tower area for a small trip (30') in the Gulf of
Thessaloniki in the evening. They play mostly ethnic and
alternative foreign music.

Among the most popular places to drink a coffee or a beer
are:

Aristotle sq (Aristotelous): The most popular
tourist cafés and bars lie in the central square of the city and
the homonymous street. One can find quiet cafes or noisy ones
usually preferred by the young. Breakfast is also served, some
restaurants are also available.

Nikis’ av: The center’s seafront avenue is full
of cafeterias usually crowded around the clock, available for
coffee in daytime and beer or drink at night.

Proxenou Kroromila st.: Parallel to the
seafront Nikis avenue is Pr. Koromila street with some cafés and
bars.

Iktinou pedestrian: Another place in the city
with cafes and bars and a couple of restaurants

Ladadika district: At the west side of the
center lies the picturesque neighbourhood of Ladadika (meaning: oil
stores). Named this way by the many stores selling oil arrived from
the adjacent harbour. Formerly notorious district, recently
renovated with many stone build warehouses now host the most known
nightclubs with all sorts of music including traditional Greek
bouzoukia. Although not the favorite by Thessaloniki’s highest
class (modern bouzoukia are not considered a classy kind of
entertainment) worth a visit. Quite controversial, some delicate
restaurants and greek taverns are located in Morichovou sq.,
popular during lunch time.

Aretsou: Aretsou is located in the east of the
city, part of Nea Krini suberb right next to Kalamaria District. In
the seafront Plastira av. one can find delicate cafeterias which
change to bars during night featuring loud music and hosting many
young.

Karabournaki: A place in Kalamaria district
hosting delicate bars, restaurants and pizzerias. All of them along
Sofouli street right next to the seasore.

Mediteranean Cosmos Mall: Located 12km east of
the city near the Airport

Boat bars: Quite interesting are the boats near
the white tower’s seafront, which make a short trip around
Thermaikos gulf where you can enjoy a late night city view. Most of
them play ethnic and alternative foreign music.

Mylos and Vilka: A set of high-range café,
bars, restaurants, ouzeris some with live music at the city’s west.
Also hosting concerts, events, exhibitions, music bands, famous
greek artists etc.

Sleep

The Youth Hostel in Thessaloniki, situated in the city center
(Alexandrou Svolou St.), is now permanently closed. Backpackers,
students and travellers with a low budget can contact
backpackers_refuge@hotmail.com where dorm beds cost 15€. Internet
is provided free of charge.

The Tourist Hotel, Mitropoleos Street. Right in the center, cheap, clean and
welcoming.75 euros for a double room
incl good breakfast. edit

Easyflat. Basic
apartments in the city center. Up to 4 or 6 guests per apartment.
Average price €50.edit

Rex
Hotel. Cheap hotel opposite the
train station towards the center. Only a 5 minute walk from train
station. Not great, but adequate. Two-bedroom in peak season was
60€.edit

Hotel Acropoli. Very cheap hotel close to the train station.
Clean but shabby rooms, most with a balcony. A triple costs €80 or
€60 for a double.edit

El
Greco Hotel, 23 Egnatia Street., ☎+30 2310 520 620 (info@hotelelgreco.gr), [25]. 3-sup star hotel located right in the heart of
Thessaloniki,providing you with quality accommodation along with
high-end services such as wi-fi internet, parking lot service. Due
to its location you can easily and quickly access Aristotelous
"piazza", the shopping center of the city, the train station and
the international exhibition center of Helexpo. Moreover,it is
close to the Aristotle University, the port of the city and next to
the historical old city.edit

Hotel Byzantio, West Peripheral of
Thessaloniki, ☎+302310
690000 (info@byzantio.com), [30]. In an all green setting with sparkling water
from the surrounding mountains, just a few meters from the water
mills, on an area of 5.5 acres, Byzantio Hotel has been designed
with much care in detail, aesthetics and functionality.edit

Porto Palace Hotel, 65 26th October Avenue, ☎+30 231 0504504. At the west entrance of the city, near the new
harbor/port district. It has direct access to the new financial
district and it is just 5 min away from the city center and the
shopping area.edit

Get out

The classic trips out of Thessaloniki are:

the 500 km of wonderful beaches on the two first
fingers of Halkidikí
peninsula, where many Salonicans (and tourists) spend
their holidays. (The third finger is the monastic community of Mount Athos.) In the
summer, the Armenistis campground (Sithonia peninsula) stages concerts and other
events. Also check out the jazz and classical concerts in Sani (Kassandra peninsula). Try
to schedule your visit in summer so that you're not driving back to
the city on Sunday evening!

the Mount Olympus coast, towards Platamonas, a very scenic
region which has fallen out of favour with the trendy set but has
lost no business - it is now mainly catering to tourists from
Eastern Europe.

Pella, the Macedonian capital during the time
of Alexander the Great

Vergina, the spectacular site of the
Macedonian royal tombs

Dion, a beautiful archeological site near
Mount Olympus.

The Prespa and Doirani
lakes near the borders with Albania and the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia respecitvely, the Prespas especially
offering an austere and evocative Balkan landscape and plenty of
birdwatching.

This is a usable article. It has
information for getting in as well as some complete entries for
restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this
article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!

Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece. Its population is 363,987 inhabitants (census of 2001) and its total population including its suburbs is almost 1,000,000 inhabitants. It is located in the region of Macedonia in north Greece. It is the capital of the Thessaloniki prefecture and it is the capital of the periphery of central Macedonia. It is the largest city in the geographical region of Macedonia.

History

Thessaloniki was established by King Cassander of Macedon, friend of Alexander the Great in the fourth century B.C. He named the city after the sister of Alexander the Great, princess Thessalonike, which in Greek means victory over Thessaly. From late antiquity to the late middle ages (330AD-1430AD) it was the second most important city of Byzantine Empire. Then Thessaloniki faced many invasions from enemies such as the Avaroi, Bulgars and others. In the year 1204, the crusaders conquered Thessaloniki and created the Kingdom of Thessalonica. Later it was liberated by Byzantines and then sold to the Republic of Venice but the year 1430, it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire. Thessaloniki was a part of Ottoman Empire for aproximately 500 years and in 1912 it became part of Greece when Greece acquired Macedonia following the Balkan Wars. Many famous people have lived or were born here, such as the Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero, many saints like Cyril and Methodius, who invented the Cyrillic alphabet, and Saint Demetrius, who is the patron saint of the city, and many politicians, such as the founder of modern-day Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. Most of the city was completely destroyed in a large fire in 1917 and was rebuilt in the 1920s. It was occupied by Nazi Germany during the Second World War.

Sights of Thessaloniki

[[File:|120px|left|thumb|Famous areas of Thessaloniki.]]
Thessaloniki has many sights. The most famous sight in Thessaloniki is the white tower. The White tower was a part of Thessaloniki's ancient walls that were built many times through the ages. Thessaloniki was the second-most well-fortified city in the Byzantine Empire, after Constantinople (Istanbul). The walls can still be seen above the city today and despite the many earthquakes, they remain standing. The city was home to a Roman imperial palace and mausoleum. The palace ruins can be seen today but the mausoleum together with a Roman arch can be still seen standing today. Very important sights of Thessaloniki are the medieval churches such as Agios Dimitrios, Agios Georgios and Agia Sofia. Agios Dimitrios it the largest and oldest Basilica in Greece. Thessaloniki's christian monuments are part of the UNESCO world heritage initiative. The city also has many ottoman monuments, such as the Bey Hammam and the old district of the city near the walls, with its distinctly Turkish architecture. Many museums can be found in the city and some of them are: Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki, Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, Jewish Museum, Ethnological Museum of Macedonia and others.

Thessaloniki is known throughout Greece and the countries nearby as a city with a great nightlife even in winter, when most famous Greek tourist destinations are closed. It is also widely considered the Greek city of love due to its many romantic streets and alleys.